Cycling: Unfortunately, where there are winners, there must also be losers. Even if all professional cyclists deliver outstanding performances, there are still riders who fall by the wayside. However, these should not be forgotten. In today's edition of the season review, we are therefore taking care of the cycling flops of 2016.
Philippe Gilbert – Far away from the great successes
The now 34-year-old Philippe Gilbert is one of the most successful professional cyclists of our time. But in the past few months he has hardly gotten anything on the chain on his bike. He only clinched four victories, although he couldn't even get a taste of success in a single race on the UCI World Tour. At his peak of the season in April there was nothing to be seen of him. He finished 81st in the Amstel Gold Race and 91st in the Flèche Wallonne. On the 7th stage of the Vuelta a Espana, which was actually perfect for him, he just missed the podium. He messed up the end of the season with 34th place in the Lombardy Tour. It almost seems as if Philippe Gilbert's successful days are over once and for all. In order to give his career another high, Gilbert is now moving back to Belgium to join the Quick Step Floors team. When the team started under the OmegaPharma-Lotto name in 2011, Gilbert had his strongest season to date. That year he won all three Ardennes Classics. We will probably never see him that strong again, but maybe we can expect a little more than this year in 2017 - despite his age.
Michal Kwiatkowski – Quo vadis after the World Championship title
Michal Kwiatkowski's weak season cannot be blamed on age. The 26-year-old Pole switched from Team Etixx-Quick Step to Sky with great expectations at the beginning of the season. He should actually play a permanent role in this star ensemble. Kwiatkowski is considered a very versatile driver who can achieve success in the mountains as well as in time trials or in classics. He already proved this at a young age. After all, in 2013 he finished in the top 10 in no fewer than seven Tour de France stages and finished 2014th overall, celebrated the world title in 2015 and won the Amstel Gold Race in 3. He was also able to place very high at the Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège several times. The qualities of Michal Kwiatkowski are therefore undisputed. No wonder Team Sky secured the services of the Pole. Actually, he should be noticed precisely because of this versatility. He could have been a help to Froome and a contender for victory in the classics and the week-long tours. Now, at the end of the season, you realize with disillusionment that Kwiatkowski couldn't really fulfill any of his expectations. He finished eighth at Tirreno-Adriatico and won the E2017 Harelbeke race. For a short time he was allowed to wear the red jersey at the Vuelta a Espana. At least a slightly conciliatory end of the year, but ultimately far too little for a man in his class. It seems almost certain that we will see him significantly improved again in the XNUMX season.
Mikel Landa – The hopeful rise was stopped abruptly
Of course, Mikel Landa hasn't made a name for himself on the cycling scene over the past decade. Nobody expected him to drive the peloton into the ground in 2016. Nevertheless, many were hoping for a lot more from the 26-year-old Spaniard this season. That's certainly what happened to the Sky team bosses, after all they signed Landa from Astana. His star rose last season when he finished third in the Giro d'Italia. He has also indicated his great potential in other races. Second in the Giro del Trentino, he was beaten only by Richie Porte. At the Vuelta a Espana he won a stage. After the move from Porte to BMC was done, Sky looked for a successor. A good tour driver with potential was needed. So the choice fell on Landa. But he didn't even come close to matching Porte's successes - and neither did he come close to his own. Instead of taking a step forward, Landa took two steps back. While ironically he won the Giro del Trentino that season, there wasn't much to see of him otherwise. At the Giro d'Italia he should have taken on the role of captain, but failed miserably. At the Tour de France things went better as a helper. Landa will definitely need to take at least three steps forward next season if he wants to continue in Sky's star roster.
More retrospective articles:
The big season review: The cycling highlights 2016 - Part 1/2
The big season review: The cycling highlights 2016 - Part 2/2
The big season review: The top drivers 2016